Bag making machine



Aug. 16, 1938. A. POTDEVIN BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet l NVENTOR. 1 J 1 I 0 BY i, AQJ AMQW ATTORNEYS Aug. 16, 1938. A. POTDEVIN BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS Aug. 16, 1938. A. POTDEVIN BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1955 v 4 Sheets-Sheet s m m m m I A TORN s.

Aug. 16, 1938. A. POTDEVINI BAG MAKING MACHINE Filed March 14, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR W m BY fi j fw Patented Aug. 16, 1 938 OFFICE BAG MAKING MACHINE Adolph tome...

Potdevin Machin Garden City, N. Y., assignor to e Company, a corporation of New York Brooklyn, N. Y.,

i I Application March 14, 1935, Serial No. 10,968

26 Claims.

The present invention is directed to an improved method and apparatus for making bags, and has for one of its objects the provision of an improved method and construction whereby bags of the satchel bottom type may be expeditiously and economically made of cellulose or other light weight materials.

Those skilled in this art will appreciate the difficulty experienced in themaking of bags from these materials by automatic machinery.

The present invention is directed primarily to the bottoming mechanism. The tubes from which the bags are to be made and which have a projecting hp at their leading end are fed to my improved bottom folding mechanism in any conventional manner. g

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional elevational view of my improved bottom forming mechanism;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of improved scoring mechanism employed in the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a view of a bag length after it has been slit at the lip or Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 shows a baglength partially opened at the bottom end in th first stages of bottoming; Fig. 6 illustrates the next step in the bottoming of the bag length; a

Fig. 7 is a view on a somewhat enlarged scale showing the position of certain parts 01' the bottoming mechanism in the later stages of the bottoming operation;

Figs. 8 and 9 show further stages in. the bottoming operations;

Fig. 10 is a plan view of the bottoming drum v partially broken away to show some of the internal construction;

Fig. 11 is a view on a somewhat enlarged scale one of the gripper rollers which engages or grips the leading end of the bag length as th same comes up to the bottoming drum;

Fig. 12 shows the completed bag; Fig. 13 is a part sectional elevational view 0 another form of cross scoring mechanism; and

Fig. 14 is an elevational view of the same mechanism.

Attempts to make so-called satchel bottom bags from regenerated cellulose or other light materials on rotary machines heretofore used exclusively for making the same style of bag from ordinary bag paper have not met with much success. The machine of the present invention is well adapted for this purpose enabling satchel leading end and as it appears after being scored by the scoring mechanism of Fig.2;

bottom bags to be made at very high speeds.

Referring to the drawings in detail, it is to be understood that the material to be handled by the present apparatus is taken from a roll in the 5 usual fashion and fed through usual tubing mechanism whichforms the web into a tube. The tubecl material designated I, and which it will be understood is being advanced continuously and in a continuous length, is divided into bag lengths 10 by the mechanism shown at 2 which may be of any conventional construction, but here shown with great accuracy and r as similar to the cutting oil mechanism constituting the subject matter of Paul Hunziker copending application Serial No. 647,502. This cutting- 15 oif mechanism 2 cuts the tubing into bag lengths, leaving a lip 3 at the leading end of the bag length or bag blank and a lip l at the trailing end as shown in Fig. 3, for example. A bag length is shown in Fig. 3 and has been designated 5.

During the cutting oif operation the tubing is engaged by pinch rollers 6 and 1 and lies at this time between the upper face of a plate 8 and adjustable hold-down fingers 8 which are carried by rods III secured to the machine frame. As the tube is divided into bag lengths the leading end of each length passes between slitting and scoring mechanism shown at l l and I2 in Fig. 1 to slit the leading end of each bag length through both walls thereof as shown atA and B, in Fig. 3 for instance, and to cross score the bag length as shown at CS in the same figure.

In -the usual bag machine for converting ordinary bag paper into bags it is customary to equip the machine with a cylinder having a longitudinal groove therein cooperating with a scoring knife in an opposed cylinder so as to crossscore the bag tube for the main bottom fold. Owing to the natural springiness or elasticity of materials such as Ce1lophane", for which my machine is particularly well adapted, such crossscoring mechanism does not score the bag length satisfactorily, and if, in order to obtain a well defined score with such mecha the parts are set closer together than when handling ordi- 5 nary bag paper there isv always danger of cutting the material instead of merely scoring it, with a resultant increase in waste.

The present invention-provides for eliminating these difficulties. As clearly shown on the drawings, particularly Figs. 2 and 4, the scoring mechanism comprises a thin scoring blade l3 preferably mounted on a rotarily adjustable shaft I4 carried in discs l5 on'a shaft Ii. These discsare adjustable cirtion, as will be seen cumferentiallyi of the shaft l6 as will be seen from Fig. 4. The scoring blade which depresses the bag blank or bag length out of the plane of the surface of the blank in a transverse area cooperate with a cam-and-spring operated movable jaw l1 carried by a shaft l8 having hearings in the end walls of circumferentially adjustable disc cylinder i9 mounted below the discs l5 on shaft IS. The cam and spring for operating the jaw l1 are designated 20 and 2|, respectively.

The lower disc cylinder l9 carries an abutment 22 which cooperates with the movable jaw H, the abutment and jaw constituting compression jaws. The face of the jaw 11. is cut back at an angle as shown in Fig. 2. In operation, the blade I3 depresses the wall of the bag length between the jaw l1 and abutment 22, before the jaw closes, and as on continued rotation of the discs l5 and lower cylinder IS the blade I3 is withdrawn, it is followed up by the jaw H, which sharply grips the tucked-in portion of the bag length at the apex 23 only, as shown in Fig. 2, instead of the entire face of the jaw clamping the material between it and the abutment 22 in a manner similar to that employed in clamping devices gerierally used heretofore for folding paper.

By sharply pinching only the apex 23 of the tucked-in portion of the bag length, I provide a permanent transverse or cross-score CS in the material despite the natural springiness or elasticity of the same. At the same time I avoid cutting of the-material so as to eliminate all waste from the cross-scoring operation.

. Two of the discs l5 which are adjustable longitudinally of the shaft l6 are provided with slitting knives 24 for slitting the bag lengths at A and B, these slitting knives as will be seen from Fig. 1 being adjustable circumferentially relatively to the shaft l6, and cooperating with lower discs i9 adjustable longitudinally of their supportin shaft l9, so as to adapt the machine for adjustment properly to slit bag lengths of different sizes as will be understood. The slitting operafrom Fig. 1, precedes the cross-scoring operation.

During the slitting and scoring operation the bag length underlies adjustable hold-down fingers 25 carried by vertically extending posts 26 mounted on the machineframe.

Inasmuch as there is noother operation to be performed at this point the scoring clamp I1 releases the tube immediately after the cross-scoring operation is completed and the bag tube is forwarded by the rotating scoring mechanism to the next station of operation between discs 21 and cooperating lower cylinder 28, passing between hold-down fingers 25 and plate 29.

As the leading end of the bag length reaches this next station of operation the cam-and-spring operated gripper 30 carried by one of the discs 21 takes hold of the upper ply of the bag length at the point 3 l Fig. 3, between the slits A, clamping it against cooperating abutment 32 on the shaft 33 on which the discs 21 are mounted.

As the bag length passes between the discs 21 and the cylinder 28 the gripper 30 will be in open position as shown in Fig. 11 so that the nose of the gripper will enter and the projecting lip 3 on the lower wall of the tube will be pushed downwardly as illustrated in Fig. 11 bending the same over the edge of an abutment 34 on' the shaft 35 carrying the lower cylinder 28, this portion of the lower wall springing back against the back of the gripper 30 as the gripper clamps or grips the upper wall against the open end of the tube the abutment 32. The abutment 34 is adjustable circumferentially of the shaft 35.

Pivotally mounted on the discs 21 is a shaft 36 carrying a blade 31. One end of this shaft is equipped with a lever and cam follower roller 38 and with a suitable spring 39 to keep this-roller in contact with an-adjustable stationary cam 40. The function of this cam is to cause the blade 31 to swing outwardly beyond the periphery of the discs 21 at the proper instant to push .the scored area of the bag length away from the surface of the discs 21 and toward the largebottom opening drum H which carries grippers 52 for gripping the lip 3 as will be presently described. In this way I prevent the bag length from being pulled open beyondthe cross-scoring CS.

The gripper 30 heretofore referred to is mounted on a shaft 42 and is controlled by a cam 43.

The hold-down fingers 25, referred to above, extend from a point at the rearof the slitting and scoring station to a point between the discs 21 and cylinder-28.

Betweent he scoring station andthe station just referred to I provide a rock shaft 44 carrying fiat spring-like fingers 45 extending forwardly and downwardly between the hold-down fingers 25. The shaft 44 is rocked by a lower roller 41 carried by the shaft 44 being held in engagement with this cam by a spring 48. The fingers 45 remain in a raised position during the progress of the tube 5 from the scoring station to the gripper or clamping station until the lip 3 on the leading end of the tube has been gripped by the grippers on the bottoming cylinder 4| at which time the cam 46 will be in position to move these spring fingers 45 downwardly toward the lower guide plate 29 to hold the tubewith a slight spring pressure against the guide plate, the spring fingers continuing to hold the bag length in contact with this plate approximately until the gripper 30 is ready to release the leading end of the upper ply of the bag length, it being borne in mind that the leading end of the upper ply of the bag length is gripped at this time by gripper 30 as above explained.

The fingers 45, therefore, exert a slight friction hold-back action upon the bag length 5 during the first stages of opening the leading end of the bag length in the bottoming operation, thereby assuring that the bag length 5 will lie fiat on the drum 4|, so that the previously made score CS,-Fig. 3, will always be in the same and correct position for the blade 31 to act on as previously explained.

The shaft 50 carrying the bottoming drum 4| carries a spider 5|, equipped with a plurality of center grippers 52 which are adapted to grip the lip 3 at the leading end of the bag length as the tube comes up to the bottoming drum and to clamp this lip against a cooperating abutment 53 carried by the spider. These grippers are spring actuated and cam released, the releasing cam being shown at 54. The spider 5! is adjustable as will be brought out hereinafter.

After the fiap 3 at the leading end of the bag length has been gripped by a gripper 52 and the bag length opened sumciently the gripper 30 releases its hold and the released portion of the bag length is engaged by a stationary curved depending finger 55, thus holding the bag length open without straining it and without tearing the material at the end of the slits A and B, the end cam 46, cam folas above described, and

the medium of lever 88 and a cam roller carried thereby and cam GI is caused to rock in proper timed relation to the release of the bag length by the grippers 30 and to the rotation of the bottoming-drum. The folders 58 are curved as will be seen from Fig. 1 of the drawings to the contour of the bottoming drum and are so mounted as to move toward the bottoming drum ll and in the direction of the advance of the bag length thus folding over the sides of'the bag length and flattening the same to the drum without undue strain on the material and without tearing the slits in the same.

The bag length which now has been folded as shown in Fig. 6 and which is still being held by center gripper 52 advances to and under a segmental roller 82, where it is subjected to'a further ironing or flattening operation. This roller is segmental, as just mentioned, better results being obtained by employing a roller with a broken periphery in that the edges 83 of the in-folded portions 5'! of the bag length are allowed to pass the center line of the bottoming drum and of the segmental roller before the ironing or rolling operation begins. If a roller without a broken periphery were employed the edges 63 might be caught thereby and be pushed rearwardly as the bag length is advanced by the bottoming drum thereby deforming the bag bottom. Instead of employing the segmental roller 62 I may employ a full faced roller with means for lifting the same periodically and in proper timed relation to the advance of the bag length 'so that during the entering period of the bag length between the roller and bottoming drum the roller would be in raised position. I prefer, however, the simple arrangement of a segmental roller.

The bag length now advances to bottom scoring and paste applying mechanism. The bottom scoring mechanism comprises scoring blades 61 and 88 and pairs of score jaws 84 and 85 the latter being carried by an adjustable spider 58 on the bottoming drum shaft 58. The jaws 54 and 65 are spring-closed and cam-released. The jaw 54 is released by a cam Bil-while the jaw 65 is released by a cam 10.

As a bag length comes unto the bottoming drum the-jaws 84 and 65 are being held closed by their respective springs. When the jaws hit the cam Ii, however, on' continued rotation of the bottoming drum, they are opened again so as to be in open position when they come up to the cooperating scoring blades 81 and 88.

As the bag length arrives at the bottoming drum, therefore, lip 3 is first gripped by one of the center grippers 52, the same having moved off its opening cam54, and the endof'the bag length is opened, folded over and pressed down arrives at the scoring blades 61 and 68 ,in the condition shown in Fig. 6, still gripped by center gripper 52. The blade 61 first engages theface forces the same toward the drum between scorer jaw 64 and cooperating abutment 12, which are in position to receive it, and the scorer jaw closes, the scorer jaw at this instant riding off its opening cam II. On continued advance of the bag length, scorer blade 88 forces the material between the next scorer jaw 65 and its cooperating of the bag length and abutment I3 which are in position to receive it, and the scorer jaw closes, the jaw at this instant having moved off its opening cam II.

The bag length thus held to the bottoming drum next passes to anadhesive-applying station where adhesive is applied to the face thereof as shown in Fig. 8.

' In its passage fromthe scoring blades 81, 68

\ to the adhesive-applying station the tube or bag length passes under hold-down spring fingers a8. These fingers or plates as will be seen from Fig. 1 are curved to the contour of the bottoming drum and are adjustable toward and away from each other so as to accommodate bags of different widths. v

As above mentioned the spider 5| which carries the center grippers 52' and their cooperating abutments 53 is adjustable circumferentially of the shaft 58. This is accomplished by eccentric 19, looking in adjusted position being accomplished by slot and bolt arrangement shown at Hi. This adapts the machine for bottoms of diii'erent widths, as will be understood.

It has also been mentioned that the spider 58, carrying the scorer jaws 85 and their cooperating abutments 13 is adjustable 'circumferen'tially of the shaft 58. This is accomplished by an eccentric 80,1ocking in adjusted position being accomplished by the slot and bolt arrangement I8. This permits the spacing of the grippers 64 and 5 to be varied to accommodate bottoms of different widths.

In the periphery of the bottoming drum, behind each ofthe scorer jaws 65 I provide an adjustable block 8|. This block extends lengthwise of the drum and is made adiustable'circumferentially of the drum so as to fill in the space back of the jaws 85 when the latter are adjusted, fora purpose presently to be brought out.

' The next step is the folding of the rear bottom;

flap 82, that. is to say, the flap extending rearwardly from the scorer 'll made by the scorer jaw 85. This folding is accomplished by a foldover roller 83 carried by a chain 84 in the fashion corresponding to my prior Patent No. 1,176,163,

the roller 83 traveling at a higher speed than the bag tube or bag length. However, due to the springy nature of cellulose material and due to pasting difficulties experienced with such, materials I have provided additionally arear flap follow-up folder 85 the function of which is to engage the rear flap 82 of the bottom before the same is released by the fold-over roller or bar 83. This follow-up folder 85 is carried on an arm 88 pivoted on the shaft 81, the arm 86 constituting one arm of a bell crank lever, the other arm 88 ofwhich is connected by to a lever 98 pivoted at 82 and carrying a cam follower roller 8| adapted to engage a rotary cam 83. The cam 93 is so shaped that the followup folder 85 will rock about its pivot 81 toward rod or bar 89 the bottoming drum 4| just behind thefolding roller 83', as'shown in Fig. 7, and engage the flap 82 prior to the roller 83 leaving the same, thereby insuring that the flap will be folded down before the leading flap 94, i. e. the flap extending forwardly from the score I6 made by the jaw .64,

is folded back'upon the tube or bag length along I engaged by plates 95 while the follow-up folder 85 is still engaging the face of the rear flap 82.

The front fiap pick-up and folders 95 are mounted on a shaft 98, rocked by a cam 91 in proper timed relation to the opening of the center gripper 52 so that on continued advance of the bag length the fiap will be folded down into position over upon the rear fiap of the bag length to bottom the bag, as shown in Fig. 12.

In the folding down of the fiaps 82 and 94 in the final stages of bottoming the bag, the center gripper jaw 52 is the first to be released, followed by opening of scorer jaws 65 and 64 in the order mentioned.

On further advance of the finished bag the front end of the same'engages stripping fingers 98 and the bag passes between these fingers and the belt of bottom pressing roller 99, finally passing between this belt, which I will designate I00, and pressing belt I to be discharged upon discharge belt I02. j

It will be understood that the operations above described are performed on continuously moving bag lengths, the bottoming drum which is rotating continuously being equipped with the necessary number of center grippers 52 and scorers 64 and 65 so that as a bag length comes up to the bottoming drum a center gripper is always in position to grip it, and scorer jaws 64 and 65 in position to score it when the drum has carried it to the scoring station.

In the cross scoring mechanism of Figs. 13 and 14 the scoring blade l3 instead of being mounted on an adjustable shaft I4 is mounted in the discs I on the shaft IS. The cross scoring blade is adapted to be reciprocated vertically in the discs I5 by springs I05 and cam I06. The scoring jaw I1 is cam and spring operated and as in the case of Fig. 2 this jaw II' cooperates with an abutment 22'. The parts are so timed and thediscs I5 and I9 are so relatively positioned that'as the scoring blade I3 is brought into position to engage a bag length 5 it, that is to say, the scoring blade will be in its outermost position in the discs l5, the blade at that time riding on the high part of the cam I06. As the parts reach the position shown in Fig. 13 or on a slightly further advanced I position than shown in this figure the cross scoring blade I3 will ride of! the high part of the cam I06 so as to be moved inwardly of the discs I5 by the action of the spring I05 permitting the jaw II to close on the material of the bag length '5 which has been inserted between the jaw I1 and the abutment 22' by the cross scoring blade to allow the jaw to grip the apex of this depressed portion of the bag length, as described in connection with my description of the apparatus shown in detail in Fig. 2. In other words, just as the cross scoring blade I3 is retracted out of the space between the jaw I1 and abutment 22' the jaw will close. I g

It is to be understood, furthermore, that changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of parts hereinabove described without departing from thespirit and scope. of my invention.

What I claim is:--

1. In a bag machine, slitting and scoring mechanism, means for operating on the leading end of an advancing bag length after leaving the slitting and scoring mechanism to open the leading end of the bag length and hold-back fingers for holding down the bag length during the opening of the leading end of the bag length. 2. In a bag m achine, means for continuously forwarding a bag length, mechanism in the path of the advancing bag length to open the leading end thereof, and hold-back fingers for frictionally retarding the bag length during said openin operation.

3. In a bag machine, means for continuously forwarding a bag length, mechanism in the path of the advancing bag length to open the leading end thereof, hold-back fingers between the forwarding mechanism and the opening mechanism, and means for rocking said hold-back fingers into engagement with the bag length during said opening operation frictionally to retard the advance of the bag length.

4. In the making of bags, the process which comprises cross-scoring the bag blanks, and then opening the leading end of the bag blank and folding each wall thereof at said leading end back upon itself along the cross-scoring while frictionally retarding'the advance of the bag blank during the said opening and folding operation.

5. In a bag machine, mechanism for operating on the-leading end of an advancing bag length or blank comprising a pair of revolvable jaws for gripping one wall of the leading end of the advancing bag length or blank while deflecting the on the leading end of an advancing bag lengthor blank comprising a pair of revolvable jaws one of which is adapted to enter the leading end of the bag length or blank and thereafter to close, thereby to grip one wall of the bag length while effecting a downward deflection of the leading end of the opposite wall of the bag length, and a revolvable abutment below the said jaws engaged by said last mentioned wall while the latter is being deflected to facilitate restoring of said deflected wall to its normal position.

7. In a bag machine, mechanism for operating on the leading end of an advancing bag length or blank, comprising a pair of revolvable jaws one of which is adapted to enter the leading end of the bag length or blank to depress the leading end of the lower wall of the bag blank and grip the upper wall of the bag blank to the other jaw,

, and a revolvable abutment'below the bag length so set with respect to the said jaws that in the deflecting movement of the lower wall of the bag length the bottom face of the lower wall will engage the leading edge of the abutment to the length to the bottoming drum. revolvable clamp ing jaws for gripping the end of the opposite wall of the bag length, rotatable means for carrying said clamping jaws, said rotatable means rotating oppositely to the bottoming drum,

whereby the walls of the bag length will be moved away from each other to open the leading end of the bag length, and a plate pivoted on said rotatable means and adapted to move outwardly relatively thereto to force the bag length toward the bottoming drum. I

9. In a bag machine, mechanism for opening the leadingend of a bag length comprising in combination a rotating bottoming drum, a gripper for securing the leading end of one wall of an advancing bag length to the bottoming drum, revolvable clamping jaws for gripping the leading end of the opposite wall of the bag length, rotatable means for carrying said clamping jaws, said rotatable means rotating oppositely to the bottoming drum, whereby the leading end of the bag length will be opened, a plate pivoted on said rotatable means and underlying the wall held by said clamping jaws,'and a cam for swinging said plate outwardly toward the bottoming drum to effect corresponding movement of the bag length. 10. In a bag machine, mechanism for opening the leading end of a bag length which has a transverse score intermediate the ends of the bag length and a projecting lip, on the leading end of one wall of the bag length, said mechanism comprising a rotatable bottoming drum, a gripper carried thereby adapted'to be moved by the drum into gripping engagement with said lip to secure one wall o f the bag length to the drum, revolvable clamping jaws, rotatable means carrying said jaws, said rotatable means rotating oppositely to said drum, a plate pivoted on said rotatable means and adapted to engage the cross score in the bag length and to be positively moved toward the bottoming drum at a predetermined instantin the opening of the bag length to insure opening of the bag length along said scored area. z 1

11. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum, a gripper carried thereby for attachment of the leading end of one wall of an advancing bag length thereto, rotatable means rotating oppositely to said drum and carrying a clamping jaw for the leading end of the other wall of the bag length, thereby to fold this wall back upon itself, means for releasing said clamping jaw, an obstruction in the path as the same continues to advance for'holding the end of the bag length in open position, and a plate curved to the contour of the bottoming drum and movable toward the drumand in the general direction of travel of the bag length thereafter to engage-the released bag wall end to flatten the same against the drum.

12. In a bag machine, the combination 1 a rotary bottoming drum provided with a gripper for attaching the leading end of one wall of a traveling bag length thereto, rotatable means adjacent the periphery of said vided with means for gripping the leading end of the othenwall of the bag length, the said rotatable means rotating oppositely to said drum, whereby the leading end of the bag length will be opened and one wall folded back upon itself,

a, plate adjacent the periphery drum curved to the contour adapted to.be moved toward the direction of advance ofthe bag length .to

of the bottoming of the drum and fold over the opposed sidesof the bag length after one wall has been'released by said rotating means, revolvable scoring blades for scoring the bag length after the same has been engaged by said plate, and a cam rotatable on the axis of revolution of said scoring blades for controlling the movement of said plate.

13. In a bag machine, a bottoming drum, a

scoring jaw, a center gripper and an intermedia ate scoring jaw cooperating with said drum, and cams for releasing the center gripper, the first mentioned scoring jaw and the last mentioned scor n jaw in the order mentioned.

14. In a bag machine, a folder bar for folding over one flap of a bag bottom, a follow-up folder,

of the opened bag length J drum and prothe drum and in and means for intermittently actuating the same to bring the follow-up folder into engagement same is disengaged by over one flap of'a traveling bag bottom, a folv low-up folder, means for intermittently actuating the same to swing the followvup folder into engagement with said flap to the rear of the folder bar before the flap is disengaged by the bar.

16. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum, a folder bar for folding over one flap'of a bag bottom which is traveling with said drum, a pivotally mounted follow-up folder, and means for intermittently actuating the same in the arcuate path into engagement with said flap behind the folder bar before the flap is disengaged by said bar.

g 17. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum, a folder bar for folding over the rear flap of a. bag bottom which is traveling with said drum, a pivotally mounted follow-up folder, and a cam and spring for rocking said follow-up folder in' an arcuate path, into and out of en-' gagement with said flap and timed to swing the follow-up folder into engagement with said flap to the rear of thefolder bar and before the flap is disengaged by the bar.

. 18. In a bag machine, a bottoming drum,-ad-

justable scoring jaws set into the periphery of tioned wall will be folded back upon itself, a

shaft, a plate carried by said shaft and curved to the contourof said drum, and means for intermittently rotating said shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said drum to carry said plate into engagement with the bag length while the plate is traveling in the general direction of the bag length to flatten and smooth the bag length against the drum.

20. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum, a gripper carried thereby for attachment of the leading end of one wall of a bag length thereto, rotatable means rotating oppositely to said drlm and provided with means for attaching theleading end of the other wall of the bag length thereto whereby the end of the last mentioned wall will be folded back upon itself, a shaft,

a cam controlled plate carried by said shaft and curved to the contour of said drum, and means for intermittently rotating said shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said drum to carry said plate into engagement with the bag length while the plate is traveling in the general direction-of the bag length to flatten and smooth the bag length against the drum.

21. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum provided with means for attaching the leading end of one wall of an advancing bag length thereto, means rotating oppositely to said bottoming drum and provided with meansfor attaching the leading end of the other wall of the bag length thereto and to fold the same back upon itself, a shaft, a plate carried by said shaft and curved to the contour of said drum, and means for intermittently rotating said shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said drum to carry said plate into engagement with the bag length upon the release of one wall thereof by the second-mentioned rotating means to fold the opposed sides of the end of the bag length inwardly and to flatten the same against the drum.

22. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum provided with means for attaching the leading end of one wall of an advancing bag length thereto, means rotating oppositely to said bottoming drum and provided with means for attaching the leading end of the other wall of the bag length thereto and to fold the same back upon itself, a shaft, a plate carried by said shaft and curved to the contour of said drum, means for intermittently rotating said shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said drum whereby to move said plate into engagement with the end of the bag length upon release of the folded bag wall by the secondmentioned rotating means and while said plate is traveling in the general direction of the advancing bag length inwardly toward each other and to flatten the same against the drum, and rotatable ironing means thereafter to engage the folded-over edges of the bag length.

23. In a bag machine, slitting mechanism for slitting the leading end of an advancing bag length lengthwise of the bag length, rotatable means provided with a gripper for gripping one wall .of the bag length between said slits to attach this wall to said rotatable means, a second,

rotatable means rotating oppositely to the first mentioned means and provided with a gripper for gripping the other wall of the bag between the slits therein to attach this wall thereto, thereby to fold the leading end of one wall of the bag length back upon itself, a shaft, a plate carried by said shaft and curved to the contour of said drum, and means for intermittently rotating said shaft in a direction opposite to the direction of rotationof' said drum to carry said plate into engagement with the bag length upon release of the second mentioned wall and while traveling in the general direction of travel of the advancing bag length to fold the opposite sides of the leading end of the bag length inwardly and along said slits to flatten the same upon the surface of the first mentioned rotating means.

24. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum provided with a gripper for the attachment thereto of the leading end of one wall of a bag length, means rotating oppositely to the bottoming drum and provided with a gripper for 'the' attachment thereto of the, leading end of the otherv wall of the bag length, whereby as the bag length is advanced the leading end is opened and one wall folded back upon itself, ,means intermittently rotating in a direction "opposite to the against the drum,

direction of rotation of said drum and adapted to engage the leading end of the bag length after the end of the bag length has been released by the second mentioned rotatable means and while traveling in the general direction of travel of the advancing bag length to fold the opposite sides of the bag length inwardly toward each other and to flatten the same against the drum, and ironing means for thereafter engaging the bag length to iron the folded-over sides of the 10 bag length, said ironing means first engaging the bag length behind the leading end of the folded-over sides.

25. In a bag machine, a rotatable bottoming drum provided with agripper for the attachment thereto of the leading end of one wall, of a bag length, means rotating'oppositely to the bottoming drum and provided with a gripper for the attachment thereto of the leading end of the other wall of the bag length, whereby as the bag length is advanced the leading end is opened and one wall folded back upon itself, folding means intermittently rotatingin a direction opposite to.the direction of rotation of said drum and adapted to engage the leading end of the baglength after the end of the bag length has been released by the second mentioned rotatable means to'fold the opposite sides of the bag length inwardly toward each other and to flatten the same against the drum, and rotatable ironing 3o means for thereafter engaging the bag length to iron the folded-over sides of the bag length, said ironing means being so constructed that the same first engages the bag length after the leading ends of the turned over sides have passed length, means rotating oppositely to the bottom- 40 ing drum and provided with a gripper for the attachment thereto of the leading end of the other wall of the bag length, whereby as the bag length is advanced the leading end is opened and one wall folded back upon itself, folding means intermittently rotating in a direction opposite to the direction of rotation of said drum and adapted to engage the leading end of the bag length after the end of the bag length has been released by the second-mentioned rotatable means to fold the opposite sides of the bag length inwardly toward each other and press the same and a segmental ironing roller.- for thereafter engaging the bag length to iron the folded-over sides of the bag length, said roller being so'timed that its periphery first engages the face of the bag length to the rear of the leading ends of the turned over sides of the bag length.

ADQLPH Po'rmEvm. so

i l 1 l 

